Koban, Book 1

We colonized 700 planets. Humankind enjoyed the benefits of expansion room and the end of wars. We even disbanded our military. Then the Krall found us. The Krall have used thousands of years of combat to select the genes of the strongest and fastest warriors. They are a species determined to dominate the entire galaxy, through destruction and annihilation of every opponent.

Koban is an uninhabited high-gravity planet with impossibly fast savage animals, which employ organic superconducting nerves. This deadly world is where the Krall tested humans for war capability.

Koban: Conflict and Empire

The Galactic Federation is confronted by the vast and implacable Thandol Empire, which has coveted the former Krall region of space for eons, a region of space now occupied and claimed by the upstart Kobani. Outnumbered, they face an opponent who possesses new and deadly weapons. An enemy that had thousands of years to develop the means to take on the Krall Empire, and now present the supermen with a weapon that turns their greatest genetic asset into their greatest weakness.

Koban Universe 2: Have Genes, Will Travel

For over a hundred years, Chisholm, a Rim World colony, has produced beef for most of Human Space, raising vast herds of a breed of Giant Longhorns. Things are changing, and land reform is demanded by small ranchers and farmers, placing restrictions on the existing open range policy. The wealthy large ranchers will stop this, any way they can, to preserve their profits. Passions are high and the opposing sides have turned violent.

At the Sign of Triumph: Safehold, Book 9

The Church of God Awaiting's triumph over Charis was inevitable. Despite its prosperity, the Charis was a single, small island realm. It boasted less than two percent of the total population of Safehold. How could it possibly resist total destruction? The Church had every reason to be confident of a swift, crushing victory, an object lesson to other rebels.

Crusade: Starfire, Book 1

Spacers call the warp point Charon's Ferry. No star ship has ever entered it and returned since a vengeful Orion task force pursued a doomed Terran colonization fleet into it in 2206. Almost a century has passed. The fiery hatreds of a quarter-century of warfare between the Terran Federation and the Zheeerlikou'valkhannaieeee, the cat-like species humans called the "Orions", have eased at least a little.

Metal Boxes - At the Edge

Ensign Stone's goals were to make his way in the Empire's navy, make his family proud of him, and make love to his fiancée. No matter which way he turned, someone was conspiring against him. Disgraced and humiliated, he is court-martialed, discharged, and abandoned. Accepting what he thinks is a lowly busy-work position on a beat up old family business space freighter travelling at the edge of human space, he hopes to earn back the trust and respect he lost.

A Learning Experience, Book 1

When a bunch of interstellar scavengers approach Earth intending to abduct a few dozen humans and sell them into slavery in the darkest, they make the mistake of picking on Steve Stuart and his friends, ex-military veterans all. Unprepared for humans who can actually fight, unaware of the true capabilities of their stolen starships, the scavengers rapidly lose control of the ship - and their lives.

Alien Arcana: Starship's Mage Series, Book 4

When a scientist is murdered after finding signs of alien magic in an archeological dig, Mage Damien Montgomery, Hand of the Mage-King of Mars, is sent to investigate both the murder and the alien runes. His investigation is interrupted when a mysterious ship attacks the ruins with weapons only available to the Martian Navy. Despite saving the dig site, Montgomery is left with more questions than answers.

Hard Lessons: A Learning Experience, Book 2

Fifty years after Steve Stuart and his friends captured an alien starship, the Solar Union is a thriving interstellar power while Earth is increasingly backward and falling into barbarism. For two youngsters from Earth, the Solar Union offers the only chance they will ever have to make something of their lives.

Sol: The Silver Ships Series, Book 5

Sol's warships paid the ultimate price for threatening the Haraken and New Terran worlds. Now, Haraken president Alex Racine and his Méridien partner, Renée de Guirnon, are engaged in a desperate gamble to stop a war between their worlds and United Earth's (UE) massive forces before it starts. What's Alex's grand plan? He hasn't a clue, but his people believe in him and hope he will find a way to protect them.

Work Experience: Schooled in Magic, Book 4

In the summer between second and third year at Whitehall, Emily accompanies Lady Barb on her rounds of the Cairngorm Mountains, bringing magical help to the locals and searching for new magicians. For Emily, tired and broken after the events of Study in Slaughter, it should be a chance to relax as well as to visit a new part of the Nameless World, to put her responsibilities aside and just be herself. But the locals aren't quite what she expects, with problems of their own, and Lady Barb is a different person away from Whitehall.

Wizard Scout: Intergalactic Wizard Scout Chronicles, Book 3

Richard is only in his junior year at the Academy, but it may well be his last. The war with the bat-like Crosioians is straining the resources of the Intergalactic Empire to the breaking point. Every soldier is needed on the front lines to stave off the Empire's destruction. Not to mention politicians are eyeing the Academy as a financial drain that can no longer be justified. To top things off, teams of spell-wielding magic users have been spotted reconnoitering near the Academy.

The Secret of the Dark Forest: Way of the Shaman Series, Book 3

The virtual world of Barliona is a place of rest and entertainment - but not for everyone. It has become a survival arena for Daniel Mahan after he was sentenced to eight years in its virtual jail. Mahan has been through it all: the back-breaking work in the mines, betrayal by other prisoners, and finally, the retrial which has released him into Barliona's common world. What more could one want? Mahan could have kept a low profile and enjoyed relative freedom while serving the rest of his time.

Bold: Kris Longknife, Book 14

Despite her role as a fleet admiral and protector of a planetary system, Kris is still beholden to her great-grandfather King Raymond's commands. She has been personally selected for a mission that will, should she succeed, save millions of lives. The Peterwald Empire is in the midst of civil war. On one side is the tyrannical empress; on the other is the last person Kris ever wants to see again: Grand Duchess Vicky Peterwald. Due to their shared history, the emperor believes Kris can mediate between the factions and bring about peace.

The Black Sheep: A Learning Experience, Book 3

In the wake of Earth's collapse into chaos, Captain Hoshiko Stuart made the mistake of speaking her mind - and was exiled six months from Sol to a naval base in an unexplored and uncontacted sector. Placed in command of a single squadron of starships, she expected nothing but boredom. But when she discovers an alien race threatening to exterminate all other races within the sector, Hoshiko and her squadron are drawn into a war to stop them.

Steel World: Undying Mercenaries, Book 1

In the 20th century Earth sent probes, transmissions, and welcoming messages to the stars. Unfortunately, someone noticed. The Galactics arrived with their battle fleet in 2052. Rather than being exterminated under a barrage of hell-burners, Earth joined their vast Empire. Swearing allegiance to our distant alien overlords wasn't the only requirement for survival. We also had to have something of value to trade, something that neighboring planets would pay their hard-earned credits to buy. As most of the local worlds were too civilized to have a proper army, the only valuable service Earth could provide came in the form of soldiers....

ALICE Resurrection: Alice, Book 3

Colonel Jake Thomas has a mess on his hands. The losses on Klinan have gutted an already short-staffed defense force, and his people are scrambling to prepare for a possible attack, directly on Earth. Combined with the seemingly erratic behavior of Sara, his number-one go-to girl, he is struggling to keep up. Now, with unexplained transmissions originating in Europe, and an Alien visitor with questionable motives, he is awash in new challenges on Earth and in space.

Voice of Mars: Starship's Mage, Book 3

When accusations of piracy and mass murder are laid against his homeworld, Damien Montgomery is sent to resolve the crisis. As counteraccusations fly and an old flame reenters his life, the newest Hand of the Mage-King of Mars finds himself in the midst of a bloody interstellar shadow war. With the death toll mounting, Damien must decide whether he should trust the world he came from - or the world that asked for his help. The wrong choice will trigger a civil war that could shatter human civilization. No pressure.

The Battle of the Void: The Ember War, Book 6

The Xaros drove humanity to the edge of extinction. Now, an immense alien fleet is on the way to Earth to end the human race. Earth's defenses are in shambles. The planet needs time to ready for the next invasion, time it doesn't have. The Xaros are en route to Earth, and it will take a daring mission to buy Earth the chance it needs to survive the next attack. While a fleet of brave men and women prepare to face down the Xaros, the Breitenfeld travels to an ancient world where the key to ultimate victory lies buried beneath the crimes of the enigmatic Malal.

Starship's Mage Omnibus: Starship's Mage Series #1

In a galaxy tied together by the magic of the elite Jump Magi, Damien Montgomery is a newly graduated member of their number. With no family or connections to find a ship, he is forced into service on an interstellar freighter known to be hunted by pirates. When he takes drastic action to save the Blue Jay from their pursuers, he sets in motion a sequence of events beyond his control and attracts enemies on both sides of the law.

Rusty Hinges: Metal Boxes, Book 3

Stone's fist, secure in the combat suit and hidden by camouflage, impacted the Hyrocanian mouth before it closed around the baby. Stone grabbed the helpless piglet with his free hand and tossed it to a startled female. The piglet, the last of her kind on the delivery shuttle, grabbed the baby and ran. Stone twisted his fist, trying his best to break every tooth in the Hyrocanian's mouth. Suddenly, his fist broke free from the shattered teeth. Opening his fist, he felt something soft and squishy at the back of the alien's throat.

Metal Boxes: Trapped Outside

Perry Stone hasn't gotten over his fear of being outside and he still hasn't settled into life in the Empire's Navy. After months of legal wrangling over his last assignment, he has been given a new assignment. He was looking forward to getting a new posting on a spaceship or a station. The problem is that his new job is on a planet.

The Lost Colony: Lost Starship Series, Volume 4

We fought the invading New Men to a standstill and defeated the alien destroyer sent to obliterate Earth. The worst should be over, but it's not. Perfect android replicas are impersonating high-level officials so trust is failing. Worse, the New Men have found allies with an impenetrable stealth technology. This time, however, Earth is going on the offensive. Admiral Fletcher is headed to C Quadrant with a Grand Fleet. He's to liberate the captured planets and find the enemy homeworld.

They Shall Not Pass: The Empire's Corps, Book 12

Despite the escape from Meridian - and a strike at the heart of Wolfbane - enemy forces are still advancing on all fronts. The Commonwealth, worn down by a year of hard fighting, is reaching the end of its tether while Admiral Singh, having secured control of Wolfbane, is searching for the breaking point that will shatter the Commonwealth once and for all. Time is needed, time to bring new weapons and tactics into service, but time is the one thing the Commonwealth doesn't have.

W. DYER says:"It was good to see Nuttall get back to his great story telling"

Publisher's Summary

The Kobani use captured Krall ships to return to Human Space. They seek expert training for their genetically modified fighters, modern weapons and new medical technology. There's a possible block to this help in the form of death penalty laws of the Planetary Union, prohibiting gene modifications of humans. A holdover from the Gene War, which nearly extinguished humanity. A perilous descent through a war-torn planet's space defenses is a first step. A Krall ship and its heavily armed crew have to be destroyed on the ground, while a watching hostile Special Ops force decides if the Kobani should be trusted, or killed as Krall collaborators. Fighting their way between a rock and a hard place, they prove they are a match for the Krall. Exploration at home reveals startling alien neighbors, and a habitable world next door. A remarkable genetic discovery there will forever alter the Kobani. Winning allies, Captain Mirikami forges a bold and dangerous plan, to strike deep into the heart of Krall territory. A place the enemy is confident that puny "animals" can't reach, let alone attack. Simultaneous Kobani raids damage Krall war manufacturing, buying time for humanity. However, the Krall have a deadly ancient weapon that none expected. Retaliatory escalation of the war has been triggered, and if it doesn't go as the Krall plan, entire planets and their populations could be shattered. Read Book 1 (Koban), and Book 2 (Koban: The Mark of Koban). Book 4 (Koban: Shattered Worlds) is coming soon.

The book is a great continuation of the other books. The pace was good and the author did not stray from the theme of the other books. The characters' personalities were not changed to force a conclusion like some other books have done. Also, if you enjoyed the genetic upgrades in the previous books, this book will not disappoint.

Would you consider the audio edition of Koban: Rise of the Kobani to be better than the print version?

I have stopped reading books and listen instead. I am on the road a lot and it makes the miles flow by.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Koban: Rise of the Kobani?

The sequesnce of finding human modifications and then employing them is a nice twist, expecially the "live forever" mod.

What does Eric Michael Summerer bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

While the writer gives a book heart and substance, the narrator brings it alive. I almost didn't continue the series after book 1 because Patric Freeman just didn't quite breath life into it. However, I really liked the story line so I continued and book 2 came alive with Eric Summerer as the narrator.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

The action is almost constant, with just enough belnd of background, and character building. I would find excuses to listen to the book outside of driving because its "just that good".

Any additional comments?

This series is a must. I have read and listened to hundreds of books. This one ranks at the top of my list, and I can't wait to get the next one in the series.

At the start of this book, 20 years have passed, and we find the Krall have used those years to perpetrate their slow, deliberate war on humanity. Chipping away at a few rim worlds with controlled attacks, they have been fighting a ground war with humans, while at the same time punishing them for launching a brutal and costly Naval attack on the Krall base world in human space.

To the Krall's surprise, they've discovered that humans are all sneaky and innovative when it comes to finding ways to fight them, but the Krall are holding back so as to give the human's time to learn to fight even better. Their ultimate destruction is a given, as far as the Krall are concerned, and yet the small, soft, easily killed humans are fighting to survive against overwhelming odds.

But all that's about to change.

Back on Koban: The gang has found new alien allies who are more than willing to help them with tech support, and that's improved their chances dramatically. But they're still not jump capable until . . .

One day on Koban, a small hand of Krall do a fly by on their way to take some human prisoners to another Krall planet for questioning. Flying over the almost mythical planet of Koban, they can't resist the opportunity to visit the off-limit planet which will be the future home of the Krall. They won't stay long, they just want to do a little rhinolo hunting and get some fresh risponi meat. Yum!

Rise is how the Kobani finally get off planet and back into space -- where they can take the war to the Krall, like they always promised they would.

This is another fantastic book in this incredible series, full of heart and friendship, and sweetness -- and ACTION, BATTLES, LOSSES AND VICTORIES.

Would you consider the audio edition of Koban: Rise of the Kobani to be better than the print version?

Yes, the reader does a good job of adding character depth to the story.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Koban: Rise of the Kobani?

The 'awakening' of the raspani (sp?).

What about Eric Michael Summerer’s performance did you like?

He gives the characters far more personality than reading a print version.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed a lot. The story elicits a wide range of emotions.

Any additional comments?

Great story.Very good narration and very likable characters. The first book had a rocky start but gets much better halfway through. Book two really picked up the intensity. Book three is a slam dunk. I really hope it's not a long wait for book 4.

The third in the series never failed to keep my interest despite it's 28 hours length. The character development and various story lines isn't confusing or troubling as was the Game of Throne series by George Martin. The battle stories and tech seemed never to have me knowing what is going to come next like many a story has done in the past

What other book might you compare Koban: Rise of the Kobani to and why?

Read the series in order

Have you listened to any of Eric Michael Summerer’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have listened to and read many books over the years (well over 1000) and this series is one of the most interesting and fun of the group. Stephen W. Bennett does an awesome job of fueling the imagination, he keeps the story upbeat and exciting. My only issue with the series is that book 4, 5, & 6 are not out yet.

If you could sum up Koban: Rise of the Kobani in three words, what would they be?

This book brings all the hinted at lore together in a interesting story with you on the edge but enough pacing to allow you to calm down and enjoying the battles instead of having un-ending suspenseful battles. The character development is great with many perspectives giving context to why a action has meaning. The end of this book does put everything into perspective that makes you think of how one's actions can be your own downfall.

Thoroughly enjoying the whole series, normally just listen while I'm working and read a different book on the kindle at lunchtime but this story has me gripped enough to keep it playing :)

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

eric

DONCASTER, United Kingdom

5/21/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Excellent this series is great"

The story is fantastic. lots of the book is totally engrossing, however about 2/3rds of the away through this book, unlike the first two books, the story slows to much. At this point much of the content seems surplus to the story.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Johnny

Lisburn, United Kingdom

5/1/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Great Story and narration is flawless"

This series is going to be great. Love this well written and the Narration Eric Michael Summerer is perfect. Thanks Stephen.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Jerry P. Crowley

Kildare, Ireland

2/23/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"One of the best audiobooks I have listened to"

It's always a worry when ordering an audiobook because of its cost and the length, this time I was not disappointed. This is a very good series and I can't recommend it enough, easily one of the best audiobook series I have listened to.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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